Li Ming scanned the boxes and couldn’t help saying, "They’ve arrived so quickly?"
"It’s just the beginning of the term and there’s not much to do, so I might as well." Zhang Huaiyuan said with a grin, as Li Ming had someone take him to finance for reimbursement.
He then opened a metal box which neatly contained four pairs of shoes.
Their design was exaggerated, mainly in blue and black, with the soles made of a metal alloy mixed with some kind of soft gel. The shoes extended over the ankles, and around the round magnetic locks on top, there were several scale marks.
This type of non-lethal special aid device was still available for purchase on Jingnan Star.
[Skywalker No.1 Magnetic Energy Shoes--Grade E: Employs strong magnetic aid technology, easily take to the skies,
Control Conditions: 600 points of metal energy
Control Effect: Speed enhancement--60%
Control Ability--Magnetic Energy Burst: After charging for one second, gain a 120% increase in speed.]
These things were not cheap, more expensive than the detection devices, costing 50,000 Star Coins per pair, adding up to a value of two million.
The same items could be stacked during upgrades to reduce metal energy consumption. Forty pairs of Grade E could produce four pairs of Grade D magnetic boots.
The standard effect enhancement should be around 100%, and the Magnetic Energy Burst could likely enhance up to 200%. After multiple upgrades, Li Ming had already mastered certain patterns.
A 600% increase in speed, tsk... Could an ordinary Grade D life form catch up with me?
Though the Purple Electric Bear was not known for its speed, the amplification was indeed exaggerated, and speed was an aspect that life forms found hard to improve,
"Why buy so many shoes?" Li Ruoning came over, looking somewhat puzzled.
"I’ve chosen mechanical manufacturing as my minor; I always need something to practice on." Li Ming explained indifferently.
"Mechanical engineering?" Li Ruoning was even more surprised. "You’ve actually chosen this pitfall major?"
After saying that, she shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn’t matter, I guess. You’re not like other people, but forty pairs is a bit too much."
She was just making an offhand comment, as she had no right to instruct Li Ming.
"By the way, your friend is quite interesting; the invoices he issued are much lower than the market price." Li Ruoning mentioned casually.
"Oh?" Li Ming was surprised. The price naturally dropped when purchasing something in large quantities.
Li Ming hadn’t mentioned it before; he considered it a perk for Zhang Huaiyuan running errands for him, not expecting the other party not to take advantage of this benefit.
He didn’t say much, keeping his own considerations in mind, and after sending Zhang Huaiyuan off, he had someone move the shoes to his room.
Soon after, Li Ruoning informed him that the room next door had been cleaned up into a workroom where he could practice, and if he were missing any tools, he just needed to report it to the lab.
Apart from Professor Wu, nobody could enter at will, and Li Ming once again marveled at the advantages his identity afforded him.
At the same time, Luo Chuan asked him again what he needed so many shoes for. Li Ming repeated his reason, and Luo Chuan hesitated to speak, clearly pained by the sight of so many pairs of shoes.
After ensuring there were no surveillance devices like cameras in the workroom, Li Ming first took control of the four pairs of Grade E shoes, and after upgrading, he took control again, which cost him thousands of points in metal energy consumption for nothing.
The upgrade began, not using his own metal energy, and the stack of shoes disappeared one by one.
Soon, four pairs of shoes, looking brand new, appeared before him.
[Power Magnetic Energy Shoes--Grade D: Employs electromagnetic pressure aid technology, easily take to the skies.
Control Effect: Speed enhancement--100%
Control Ability--Magnetic Energy Burst: After charging for one second, gain a 200% increase in speed.]
The effects and abilities were almost as he had anticipated.
Only after taking full control did he make a move. With a sudden rush, his whole body shot out like a phantom, and with a loud bang, he hit the wall.
"That is way too fast." Li Ming’s eyes reddened as he rubbed his nose, which wouldn’t stop bleeding.
The sixfold increase in speed really made it hard for him to maintain control; he even had trouble reacting and needed more practice.
If he recycled these four pairs, he could gain about fifteen thousand points of metal energy. With another four thousand pairs of shoes, he would almost have enough to take control of the [Philos Armor].
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but shake his head. Luo Chuan had already come to inquire about just forty pairs.
After getting more familiar for a while, he opened the Black Hole Network and browsed the local section.
Good gracious, his eyes changed slightly.
The bounties were abundant; even with Jingnan Star appearing calm on the surface, the number of bounties was hundreds to thousands of times that of Silver Grey Star.
Not to mention the amounts; there were several worth tens of millions.
"The calm is only on the surface," Li Ming remarked to himself. In the half-hour he had been browsing, the bounties kept increasing and disappearing without end.
He still had a balance of over three million in his Black Hole Network account, but for now, there were no plans to use it.
Early the next morning, Li Ming got ready and was just leaving his room when he ran into Luo Chuan, who seemed to be waiting for him.
"Senior Brother..." Li Ming had met Luo Chuan the day before and his first impression was favorable.
"Junior Brother, you are up early." Luo Chuan smiled, standing tall.
Li Ming also responded with a smile, "It’s the first day of classes, I can’t be late."
Li Ming did not know why this Senior Brother was looking for him. As they walked and talked, making small talk for a bit, Luo Chuan eventually brought up his purpose.
"Last night, the teacher had to leave the lab for some business and might need some time to get back. It was late, so I didn’t disturb you."
"The teacher left?" Li Ming was quite surprised; he had thought Old Wu was usually pretty free.
"Something came up in the Heluo Star System, and the teacher had to help out," Luo Chuan briefly explained, smiling, "Before he left, he made me promise a thousand times over to take good care of you, to make sure nothing happens to you."
Li Ming contemplated, then asked, "Could I really encounter any trouble on Jingnan Star?"